Photographer's Note

Ducal Palace of Urbino
The palace, wanted by Duke Federico da Montefeltro, a man of arms and refined humanist, was built during the fifteenth century in successive stages. Among the countless craftsmen employed in the construction, the Florentine Maso di Bartolomeo, the Dalmatian Luciano Laurana and the Sienese Francis of Giorgio Martini.
It faces its long side on the Renaissance square, ideally connected to the Church of San Domenico, embellished by an elegant Renaissance portal featuring Florentine maestranze with lunette decoration by Luca della Robbia.
Today is the seat of the National Gallery of the Marche, occupying all the rooms so far recovered from the Ducal Palace on the first and second floor, for a total of about 80 environments. There are exposed paintings on the table and on canvas, frescoes, stone and terracotta sculptures, polychrome and golden wood sculptures, inlaid woods, furniture, tapestries, drawings and engravings: all chronologically located works between the 14th and 17th centuries.

You had fine weather and a beautiful, blue sky for this shot.
I'm amazed at how well you have controlled the light, with a photograph that is almost back lit! The stone is warm and textured and there are lovely contrasts between the sunlit and shaded areas.
The figure is useful as a focal point and for a sense of scale.

Buongiorno Silvio,
Exceptional view of the inner yard, with multi-arches and pillars in same pattern. Employed well the light and shadows, and the one man there gave good scale to the scene.
Saluti,
Ike

Hello Silvio,
You make excellent use of the arch to draw us into the composition and to frame the opposing façade. Excellent management of the atmospheric low light conditions assures very good colours and clarity.

Hello Silvio
I like this severe symmetry in your composition. Only the man in the shadow and a bird in the sky are deviating. I also have to mention the high quality of the picture in sharpness and brightness of the beautiful colours.
Excellent work
Groet Rob

Hello Silvio,
A well composed picture of this patio in the ducal palace.
The shadow of the column on the foreground falls nicely parallel with one of the diagonal lines on the floor a bit further.
Very good light management, clarity and sharpness.
Best regards, Paul

Hi Silvio
Nice capture, good pov using the huge arch leading viewers to focal of interest; there's plenty of visual features all add up to a fine discovery making the shot come alive. Excellent capture, Congrats
Best wishes

Nice use of the fg arch and columns to frame the bg scene. Good sharpness and punchy light contrasts. The solitary person adds scale. Excellent repetition of the patterns and shapes of the windows and arches. Tfs!

Ciao Silvio,
I am quite interested in your reportage from Urbino because I have attended a little scientific course there many years ago and I remember this town as being so picturesque but because it was time when I didn't take any photos I have no record of that visit and somehow it has faded away in my memory. So I feel as if I was discovering something new but at the same time something familiar...
Great symmetrical composition. Very elegant architecture, beautifully presented!
M